Frank de Boer’s sacking by Crystal Palace was on Slaven Bilic’s mind as he battled to save his own job on Monday night.
West Ham’s 2-0 win over Huddersfield eased the immediate pressure on Bilic after his side had lost their opening three games.
De Boer paid the price for a further defeat as he was sacked on Monday only four games into his Selhurst Park reign, the shortest reign in terms of matches in Premier League history.
“Was De Boer’s sacking on my mind? It was,” Bilic admitted. “I mean I’m not going to lie, I’m 49 and I’ve been in football, in serious football, since I was 18 – that is 31 years - so I know how it goes especially today.
“To be fair I came to the zone where I don’t, not don’t care about it in a negative way but I don’t care about that, I care about the team – I saw my team really focussed, not today but yesterday and the day before it was a good thing.
“I told them we suffered in the last two weeks after Newcastle. It was good to play on Monday to have them back for a few training [sessions] and they have showed the determination and they showed the energy and everything.
“That is what’s really important to be, that is what I’ve been focussed on all the other things I can agree with them or not agree with them but they are irrelevant the way I look at my job.”
Roy Hodgson is set to replace De Boer at Palace, with Bilic now the bookmakers’ favourite to be the next manager to leave his post.
